On August 22, Sergey Markov, the Azerbaijani-leaning political scientist and former Kremlin employee, was designated a foreign agent by the Russian Ministry of Justice. During a statement, Markov rejected the designation, describing it as slander and asserting, "I am not a foreign agent, and I have no connection [to foreign funding]. Sometimes, for some reason... they can make mistakes. I don't know anything about this." He further claimed that his inclusion in the registry was not the official position of the state but "someone's personal revenge," suggesting it was motivated by a well-known TV presenter and media magnate "with the mentality of Timur Ivanov" retaliating for past criticisms.

On August 23, war correspondent Alexander Kots provided context, explaining that the foreign agent status applies to "individuals or organizations that receive funding from abroad and participate in political activities on the territory of the Russian Federation." Kots noted that Markov likely drew attention during a trip to the Shusha Media Forum, where he attended alongside former deputy general director of TASS, Mikhail Gusman, and praised Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Kots emphasized that Markov appeared enthusiastic when Ukrainian journalists presented the Azerbaijani president with chevrons linked to Nazi units and other groups banned in Russia, describing the Azerbaijani narrative of "a victorious country" as a key reason for scrutiny. Kots also suggested that Markov’s participation in the Azerbaijani event may have been financially motivated, adding that Gusman's praise of the Azerbaijani president similarly reflected admiration for Azerbaijan and Aliyev, rather than purely journalistic intent.